Parent-child interactions predict anxiety in Mexican adolescents

On the basis of consistent antecedents linking anxiety and maladaptive problems such as school failure, substance abuse, and somatic complaints, a retrospective study was conducted in order to gain understanding of more specific parenting variables related to anxiety in 3,432 Mexican adolescents. Data were collected through the application of the Health, Lifestyles and Behavior Inventory which contains sections measuring typical psychological complaints, family interaction and child-rearing practices, and socioeconomic variables. Factor analysis produced three anxiety-related factors and two parent-child interaction factors. Significant negative correlations were found between desirable father-child and mother-child interactions for all three anxiety factors.